The Girl in the Ice

The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza (Crime Thriller)

Grandma Says: The Girl in the Ice is a well-written, suspense-filled thriller set in South London in the UK. In addition to enjoying the setting, I was immediately drawn in by the pacing and characters. We briefly meet the socialite who will be murdered and found beneath the ice in a pond, then are introduced to Detective Erika Foster who has been chosen to lead the investigation into the girl’s death. Erika comes with plenty of her own baggage, a backstory that’s told with just enough detail to help explain her in-your-face attitude toward the girl’s high-society parents who do their best to control her investigation. Erika’s headstrong ways get her into plenty of trouble with her commanding officers and others, and her efforts are thwarted by male colleagues (who we know will get their comeuppance when she solves the case).

The story is told from multiple points of view, including that of the killer who is always kept gender-neutral, adding to the suspense right up to the end. While sometimes it was hard to believe that Erika’s commanding officer would be as understanding as he was in the face of outright mutiny, her relationships with her fellow investigators Moss and Peterson were credible and added to the story. As mentioned previously, the pacing was a major draw for me: things kept happening, and there was never a dull moment nor a sense of “why was that passage in there?” I did have to look up some British terms, such as “off-licence,” but that simply added to the sense of being in an interesting, unfamiliar setting.

I’m pleased to note that this is the first in a three-part crime thriller series. Erika Foster is a character I enjoy, and Bryndza’s writing is a treat.